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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bore — to tire
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. band — a music group
  6. dip — to sink
  7. season — of the year
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. season — in sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. band — a ring
  24. season — to add flavour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com